The use of traction in the treatment of injury involving the spine, for example, neck injuries as may occur from "whip lash", or injuries to joints such as the knee, the hip, the elbow or the shoulder, is well known. Ambulatory patients who require periodic treatment to relieve pain or promote healing have, in many cases been required to enter a hospital on an in-patient or out-patient basis to receive such treatment. A substantial portion of these cases could be treated in the patient's home if a suitable, portable, simple traction device were available. Suitability of such a device requires that it be attachable by the patient to the extremities of a body portion requiring treatment, and operable by the patient to impose the necessary tensile forces. Portability of the device requires that it be easily disassembled and packaged so that the patient is not limited in his mobility to a given location where treatment may be obtained at a prescribed time. Simplicity of the device requires that the device be relatively inexpensive and free of complicated apparatus, such as complicated extension means, load measuring devices, etc.
The improved structure of the present invention is not the first traction device to be usable at home, for example, or the first to be patient operated.
An early example of a traction device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,070,467 composed of a rigid pipe frame of generally fixed rectangular configuration having strap means at one end for engaging the upper portion of the torso, and a movable cross head at the other end having flexible strap means for engaging the legs or ankles of the patient. The cross head is moved by means of a crank and screw, the crank being bearinged on one end of the frame and having a screw member extending into the cross head to enable movement thereof in any direction. It cannot be operated by the patient.
Another traction device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,022 and consists of a single elongated member spanning a patient's body, having a yoke fixedly secured to one end and carrying a strap for holding the patient's head, and a foot end adapted to hold flexible straps for engaging the ankles of the patient. Tension is applied by means of a rack and pinion apparatus coacting with a lock to maintain a given setting.
A patient operated device is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,489 and depends upon a patient applied load to apply tensileforce. The head of the patient is held in a flexible strap when the patient is seated in a chair. The free ends of the strap are supported on a line having an intermediate weighing scale, with the distal end of the line being secured to a lever operated apparatus attached to the upper part of a wall or door, for example, and a depending handle portion which can be grasped by the patient to regulate the amount of tension as indicated by the scale.
Another device for applying traction to the body is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,971. Here a generally rectangular frame is provided having cross members at either end adapted to retain flexible body holding straps or apparatus. The cross members are maintained in spaced relation by means of adjustable and extensible side rails. Pin hole settings are provided for rough adjustment, and threaded members provided for applying the desired amount of tension.
A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,658 contemplates a cervical spine traction apparatus which is designed to be used with a door and the upper frame of the door to provide an anchor point for a harness. The harness is provided with a pair of vertically extending load straps adapted to hold the head of a patient. The harness is secured to webbing members which extend between the upper edge of the door and its mating door frame while the door is closed, and held laterally spaced by a cross bar secured to the loading straps. The webbing members are releasably secured to the cross bar which is adapted to bear against the opposite upper face of the door from that of the harness to anchor the apparatus to the top of the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,336 shows an apparatus for the application of traction to various parts of the body comprising a rigid frame with two parallel side rails interconnected by at least one cross bar to which a body engaging strap is connected. Each side rail carries an adjustably mounted self-locking hand grip which is grasped by the user laying on a supporting surface over which the frame is freely slidable. The user pulls or pushes the hand grips while having his hip, neck or feet strapped to the frame. The hand grips when unlocked are swingable in planes traverse to the side rails and may also be slidable thereon by the user until such movement applies the traction-generating force.
A more recent reference is U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,611 which discloses a portable traction device suitable for hospital, office or home use. This device comprises of frame adapted to fit about the patient while laying down. The frame is provided with two telescoping side members and two end members. The end members have connecting means which are adapted to be coupled to the patient's body at two different points. Springs are provided for biasing the telescoping members outward to apply traction to the patient's body.
The present device differs from the prior art structures in that it is characterized by two portions which are pivotally secured together, one of the portions being generally U-shaped and adapted to be attached to one portion of the body, such as the feet, and the other portion which is adapted to be attached to an opposite portion of the body being pivotably secured to the outer ends of the side members defining the U-shaped portion. The attachment of the head member or outer member is pivotable, and desirably adjustable. Because of the location of the pivot point, lever means are provided which may be actuated by the patient to impose a desired traction force to the patient's body or portion thereof undergoing treatment. In a convenient embodiment, the head portion is rectangular and pivotally secured by pivot means extending through the side rails of the rectangular portion at a point intermediate the ends of the side rails. The proximal ends of the side rails are joined together by a cross member which provides a convenient hand hold for operation by the patient to exert the desired amount of force. The opposite cross member is provided with means for attaching a flexible harness or strap for engaging the patient's head, for example. Movement of the cross bar of the head member at the proximal end of the side members toward the body of the patient tends to move the cross bar at the distal extremity of the head portion away from the cross bar at the bottom of the U-shaped portion thereby exerting tension forces on the body of the patient.
In a preferred embodiment, the device of the present invention can be completely disassembled and packed into a relatively small carrying case for transport with the patient to whatever location he desires.